New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-20
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
THE NEWLY ACQUIRED PAPERS In THE
STATE DEPARTMENT..

STATE DEPARTMENT..
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF BENJAMIN F "a sHN
Compiled and edited by JOHN BIGELow. NoiH o'o'
pp xxi, 623. q. p. Putnams sons
FRANKLIN IN FRANCE From Original do Docameh u.s.
OF which are now published for The nrst i r syS
PIP. xix, AIS. Roberts Brotbers
II is a curious circumstance that two distn
guished students Of American history have been
simultaneously engaged in the exploration OF the
Franklin papers, purchased by the United States
Government in 1882 and that the results OF then
discoveries the first important fruits OF tha'
National acquisition, are given to the pubic al
most at the same moment Mr.. BiSeow and Mr.
Hale have worked on different lines ana WIZ"
different purposes, and are not likely 70 h'.'i
fere with each other. They agree III pear'hs .os-
timony TO the great value OF the coieooioh VI
tcrs md other documents bequeathed py fr'ih>-
lin to his grandson, and now, a1ter many eo,'tso
xicissitudes safely deposited in the library OF Tn"
State Department at Washington 10 Includes hearty
5000 papers Of the whole bulk more han one
half has never been printed, and the unpupisheu
portions apparently comprise most OF inc corre-
spondence OF Franlxlin's later years. PROBABLY
the new materials will not oblige us to reverse
any notable verdict Of history, but they VIII
throw strong light upon some obscure analrs'
and Illustrate with fresh force the extraordinarily
various services OF Franklin to his native coun-
try.
Mr.. Bigelow promises to give us, with the aiu
OF the Washington papers and other collections
the first correct edition of Franknns eh'lic
writings including his private well as his
official and scientific letters Pieces inaccuratey
printed by Sparks are to be revised by comrarl-
son with the originals and between $50 and 400
documents will be given for the first time Then
we shall have what American literature has long
wanted and with this splendid service MI Blge-
low will crown a series of memorable labors In
connection with one of the most remarKaolc
figures in our history. We are already lhdeo'eu
to him for the discovery, not by accldem Out oy
Intelligent Search Of the toughest original manu-
script Of Franlxns Autobiography and Tor
the first publication Of that celebrated work IN
complete and authentic form. 1he AUTO.
biography" is very properly placed at the head of
the present volume, with an introduction giving
substantially the same facts put forth in Mr..
Bigelow's earlier editions. Whether they differ
at all from the revision OF 1884 we are not IN
formed and as dates are oddly missing In The
present publication, there being none Tor The
Preface and not even a copyright notice, 1t Is
q little doubtful how much of the preliminary NAB
ter is fresh and how much reprint. The AUTO
biography fills more than half the volume The
writings which follow it are presented III chrono-
logical order, the earliest being short note 10
Sir Hans Sloane, dated in 1925 and the next
pleasant letter to Franllin's sister Jane. The
jnstament closes with the pamphlet on The
w-Invented Pennsylvania Fire-PlaceS' 1'44).
The pamphlets entitled ARTICLES of Belief and
Acts of Religion and "A Modest Inquiry into
the Nature and Necessity of Paper Currency"
the "Busybody- papers and numerous cOntribu-
tions to "Ihe Pennsylvania Gazette arc in
Guided, as well a number of private letters
l"lbor Richards Almanac is represented by
specimens. complete reproduction OF the pre-
faces and other reading matter of this famous
series is now unattainablc, bit we do not under
stand that Mr.. Bigelow has thought it advisable
to give all that can be found.
The work is to be completed in ten volumes.
That now before us is beautifully printed in
excellent large type, on well arranged page and
on substantial paper which takes very clear
impression The Putnams' press would hold a
high rank among our printing houses if the proof
reading careful as the mechanical work.
Professor Richardson handsome book on "Ameri
can Literature" was issued by the Putnams q
few weeks ago with numerous gross misprints
and though we have not PUT Mr.. Bigelow's Frank
lin to test have reason to fear that it has
not been read with the proper attention. We
noticed an error in the table of contents and no
fewer than four errors on page 4, IN single rel
erence to Mr. Bigelows third edition of the "Au-
Photography - one in the spelling "Franlilyn,"
one in the wording of the title. one in the name
OF the publisher, and one in the date. which IS
given as ls4s instead of 1884.
Mr. Hale has undertaken TO give a connected !
account of Franklin's nine years residence in
France with the help Of the new material now
thrown open to the public, and in doing this to
print all the more important letters of Franklin
not published heretofore, and also the NEST i'm
portant unpublished letters of his correspondents,
which would throw hsht on the history, on
his life in France" lie has not hesitated TO re-
print papers already in print where this seemed
necessary, but such cases, he assures us, have
been very few" Substantially the book consists
of fresh coIrcsp ndence, with a brief and simple
connecting narrative. The task Of preparing
history this plan was delicate and difficult.
Mr. Bigclow went over the ground in 1874.
arranging Franllin's letters, so far they were
then known in the form of a consecutive story of
his life, and later comers who do not aspire to
repeat his work can only CLEAN in a field which
las already yielded q good harvest. Mr.. Hale
and his son, however, have acquitted themselves
admirably, neither taking too much from their
predecessors nor leaving too much aside; AMI
upon several points the new letters which they
bring forward are highly interesting. We cannot
FAY that the new letters upon the whole are com
parable in value to the old, but they arc useful
Supplements, and the old should always be studied
in connection with them There is indica-
ton on the title.page in the preface that this
work is to consist of more than volume, and
vet it leaves the story Of Franklin in France
only half finished. In the last chapter there is
indeed q statement that the history Of the peace
negotiations with Great Britain is reserved for
later chapter: but then presently the book breaks
of abruptly with the victory Of Yorktown, and
an index follows if to emphasize the assurance
that there is no more. II the rest is to be told
in q separate work, the title Of this one is mis-
leading. Far from having here the fun story of
Franklin in France stop short Of that
part of his service in the French capital upon
which controversy has been most earnest and